Citizen Science as Key Components for Identifying 

Regulatory Gaps:Lessons from Love Canal, Exxon Valdez, Deepwater 

Horizon & Other Man‐Made DisastersProf. Elizabeth Glass Geltman

National Environmental Monitoring ConferenceNew Orleans, LouisianaAugust 7, 2018, 1‐3pm

1:30‐2:00pm

Abstract• In the past few years, a robust debate erupted within the scientific community as to the appropriate role of citizens in gathering and presenting scientific data for use in policy development. Most modern citizen science projects are designed by scientists and ask citizens to take part in gathering data using protocols established by the scientists. Citizen participation is used as a means to expand the number of subjects or samples while at the same time saving costs. While this model of citizen science is relatively new, the concept of citizenry gathering data to present to government and academic scientists because of health and other concerns in order to influence policy is not new. For example, in 1979 the Love Canal Homeowners Association (LCHA) embarked on a study to present evidence of health concerns due to improper disposal of hazardous waste in their neighborhood. This study examines historical health studies conducted by citizen groups to present to government in order to identify regulatory gaps. The study compares the data gathered by citizens to the studies designed by experts in a variety of emergency settings including Love Canal, Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon. The study concludes that while citizens groups may have an inherent bias in gathering data, scientific bias also presented challenges from experts in ultimate study designs. In certain events such as the LCHA study in response to Love Canal, the citizen science was closer to real environmental health concerns than the study developed by the experts. The paper concludes by putting citizen science in a new context.

Source: http://nemc.us/forms/view.php?id=20328&mf_resume=b372b

63d26

Financial DisclosureGrant funding for this project was provided by: the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, 1R25ES027082‐01 and CDC/NIOSH New York‐New Jersey Education and Research Center. In kind support was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Network for Public Health Law.

Asking the wrong question:

• Can citizen science enhance public understanding of science?

KEYWORDS:

Public Underst Sci. 2016 Jan;25(1):2-16. doi: 10.1177/0963662515607406. Epub 2015 Oct 7.

Can citizen science enhance public understanding of science?Bonney R , Phillips TB , Ballard HL , Enck JW .

AbstractOver the past 20 years, thousands of citizen science projects engaging millions of participants incollecting and/or processing data have sprung up around the world. Here we reviewdocumented outcomes from four categories of citizen science projects which are defined by thenature of the activities in which their participants engage - Data Collection, Data Processing,Curriculum-based, and Community Science. We find strong evidence that scientific outcomes ofcitizen science are well documented, particularly for Data Collection and Data Processingprojects. We find limited but growing evidence that citizen science projects achieve participantgains in knowledge about science knowledge and process, increase public awareness of thediversity of scientific research, and provide deeper meaning to participants' hobbies. We alsofind some evidence that citizen science can contribute positively to social well-being byinfluencing the questions that are being addressed and by giving people a voice in localenvironmental decision making. While not all citizen science projects are intended to achieve agreater degree of public understanding of science, social change, or improved science -societyrelationships, those projects that do require effort and resources in four main categories: (1)project design, (2) outcomes measurement, (3) engagement of new audiences, and (4) newdirections for research.

lay expertise; participation in science policy; public participation; public understanding ofscience; science attitudes and perceptions; science education; scientific literacy

PMID: 26445860 DOI: 10.1177/0963662515607406

[Indexed for MEDLINE]

Format: Abstract

1 2 3 2

Author information

Publication type, MeSH terms

PubMed

Full text links

Can citizen science enhance public understanding of science? - PubMe... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26445860

1 of 2 1/23/18, 10:56 AM

Importance of Community Involvementin identifying regulatory gaps

Source:https://www.pca.state.mn.us/ecoexperience/citizen‐science

Love CanalThe First Superfund Site

Source: US EPA

Permitted from NYS

State of the art disposal

Deed contained notice of hazardous 

waste disposal, assumption of 

risk & indemnity

Led to enactment of CERCLA & creation of Superfund

Love Canal: 1940s  1953  1970s

Engineering Controls

Institutional Controls

Clay Pit with

 Sea

led Stee

l Drums

Quit Claim

 Deed

Institutional Control placed inQuit Claim Deed

• This Indenture made the 28thday of April 1953 between Hooker Electrochemical Company . . . and the Board of Education of the School District of the City of Niagara Falls, New York, . . . in consideration of One Dollars [$1.00] does hereby . . . release . . . and assign Forever all that tract or parcel of land situate[d] in the City of Niagara Falls, County of Niagara and State of New York being part of Lot number sixty (60) of the Mile Reserve. . . .

• Prior to the delivery of this instrument of conveyance, the grantee herein has been advised by the grantor that the premises above described have been filled, in whole or in part, to the present grade level thereof with waste products resulting from the manufacturing of chemicals by the grantor at its plant in the City of Niagara Falls, New York, and the grantee assumes all risk and liability incident to the use thereof. It is, therefore, understood and agreed that, as a part of the consideration for this conveyance and as a condition thereof, no  claim, suit, action or demand of any nature whatsoever shall ever be made by the grantee, its successors or assigns, against the grantor, its successors or assigns, for injury to a person or persons, including death resulting therefrom, or loss of or damage to property caused by, in  connection with or by reason of the presence of said industrial wastes. It is further agreed as a  condition hereof that each subsequent conveyance of the aforesaid lands shall be made  subject to the foregoing provisions and conditions.

Community Raised Concernbased on

School Yard Epidemiology

Source: US EPA

Community Movement

Source: US EPA

Evacuation 

Source: US EPA

Superfund Toxicology:Cancer  Endocrine‐disrupting

NY Health StudyPreliminary Cancer Incidence ResultsAugust 2001

1981 Massachusetts Department of Public Health study confirmed a childhood leukemia cluster

Sources: https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/investigations/love_canal/cancincihttp://archives.lib.state.ma.us/bitstream/handle/2452/393139/ocn948190559.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

http://sphweb.bumc.bu.edu/otlt/MPH‐Modules/PH/Woburn/Woburn_print.html

Love Canal Follow‐up Health StudyPreliminary Cancer Incidence ResultsAugust 2001

Source: https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/investigations/love_canal/cancinci

Love Canal Follow‐up Health StudyPreliminary Cancer Incidence ResultsAugust 2001

Source: https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/investigations/love_canal/cancinciCompare https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/investigations/love_canal/reproductive_outcomes.htm

Love Canal Follow‐up Health StudyCancer Study Community Report April 2009

Source: https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/investigations/love_

canal/mortality_community_report.htm

1979 Love Canal Homeowners Association (LCHA) Study• Found increase in: 

• miscarriages • still births• crib deaths • birth defects • nervous breakdowns• hyperactivity• epilepsy• urinary tract disorders

• 56% born (between 1974‐1978) had a birth defect, including:

• three ears• double row of teeth • mental retardation • 3X as many defects in wet areas.

• Miscarriages increased 300%• most in women who lived in the historically 

wet areas

Sources: US EPA: https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/investigations/love_canal/cancinci

Love Canal: A Special Report to the Governor & Legislature: April 1981Location Live Births

Children with Low Birth Weight+ Children with Congenital Defects

Number Percent p** Number Percent p***

99th Street* 39 1 2.56 ++ 4 10.26 >.05

97th Street* 26 0 0.00 ++ 0 0.00 ++

Rest of Love Canal Area 227 24 10.57 .017 17 7.49 >.05

Water 83 13 15.66 .001 10 12.05 >.05

Non Water 144 11 7.64 >.05 7 4.86 ++

Source: https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/investigations/love_

canal/lcreport.htm

Source: https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/investigations/love_canal/reproductive_

outcomes.htm

Modern Superfund Technology

• Still a glorified clay pit• All technology ages• All technology has limitations• Understanding of health effects changes

Superfund Site Cleanup Protocol

Risk assessmentRemoval

of public health risk

Remediation

Engineering +Institutional Controls

O&M

Love Canal Today

Black Creek Village, Niagara, NY(formally Love Canal)

23PH754

• "Niagara Falls residents have been living in the vicinity of the Love Canal site on the promise that the approximately 22,000 tons of … chemical waste … was safely contained and did not pose, and would not pose, a threat of any kind to them, their children or their property," the New York City‐based attorneys said in court papers. "That promise has not been kept."

Source: https://buffalonews.com/2018/06/01/new‐lawsuit‐claims‐love‐canal‐chemicals‐still‐causing‐health‐problems/

Sect ions Search (ht tps:/ / buffalone

Chemicals from the Love Canal hazardous waste si te were found in stormwater off ReadAvenue near the 99th Street School in Niagara Falls on Apr i l 15, 1979. Offi cials posted signsto keep chi ldren and passersby out of the hazard zone. (News fi le photo)

Exclusive: Are Love Canalchemicals still making peoplesick?By Dan Herbeck (https:// buffalonews.com/ author/ dan_ herbeck/ ) | Published June 1,2018 | Updated June 1, 2018

Exclusive: Are Love Canal chemicals still making people sick? – T... https://buffalonews.com/2018/06/01/new-lawsuit-claims-love-cana...

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Superfund Toxicology:Cancer  Endocrine‐disrupting & other health effects from persistent low level exposure

Source: US EPA

Significant Public Health Concern53 million people live within 3 miles of a Superfund remedial site: 17% of US population12 million people live within 1 mile of a Superfund site: 4% of US population 

TRI facilities (blue) and Superfund NPLsites (red)

Sources: https://toxmap‐classic.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/main/index.jsphttps://www.epa.gov/superfund/hrs‐subsurface‐intrusion‐component

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015‐09/documents/webpopulationrsuperfundsites9.28.15.pdf40 CFR Part 300;

Addition of a Subsurface Intrusion Component to the Hazard Ranking System, 82 Fed. Reg. 2760 (Jan. 9, 2017).

Effective May 2018 HRS includes soil vapor 

Source: 40 CFR Part 300;Addition of a Subsurface Intrusion Component to the Hazard Ranking System, 82 Fed. Reg. 2760 (Jan. 9, 

2017).

Review of RCRA Expanded Public Participation begun May 2018

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RCRA Expan ded Pubic Participation ICR Renew alRCRA Expan ded Pubic Participation ICR Renew al

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NoticeNoticePostedPosted:: 03/21/201803/21/2018IDID:: EPA-HQ-OLEM-2018-0102-0001EPA-HQ-OLEM-2018-0102-0001

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Agency ContactAgency Contact

PeggyPeggy VyasVyasEnvironmental ProtectionEnvironmental Protection

SpecialistSpecialist

EPAEPA

vyas.peggy@epa.govvyas.peggy@epa.gov703-308-5477703-308-5477

This count refers to the totalThis count refers to the totalcomment/submissions received oncomment/submissions received onthis this docketdocket, as of 11:59 PM, as of 11:59 PMyesterday. Note: Agencies reviewyesterday. Note: Agencies reviewall submissions, however someall submissions, however someagencies may choose to redact, oragencies may choose to redact, orwithhold, certain submissions (orwithhold, certain submissions (orportions thereof) such as thoseportions thereof) such as thosecontaining private or proprietarycontaining private or proprietaryinformation, inappropriateinformation, inappropriatelanguage, or duplicate/nearlanguage, or duplicate/nearduplicate examples of a mass-mailduplicate examples of a mass-mailcampaign. This can result incampaign. This can result indiscrepancies between this countdiscrepancies between this countand those displayed whenand those displayed whenconducting searches on the Publicconducting searches on the PublicSubmission document type. ForSubmission document type. Forspecific information about anspecific information about anagency’s public submission policy,agency’s public submission policy,refer to its website or the Federalrefer to its website or the FederalRegister document.Register document.

Docket Folder SummaryDocket Folder Summary View all documents and comments in this DocketView all documents and comments in this Docket

Frist FR notice for an ICR renewalFrist FR notice for an ICR renewal

+ View More Docket Details+ View More Docket DetailsCom m ents ReceivedCom m ents Received **

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Source: https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=EPA‐HQ‐OLEM‐2018‐0102

Citizen Input

Exxon Valdez Spill ‐‐ 1989 Deep Water Horizon ‐‐2010

Sources: http://www.evostc.state.ak.us/index.cfm?FA=facts.map; NOAA

Chronic Problems & Crowd Sourcing Both Investigation & Response 

Source: NOAA

Example: Alaska Coast Watch

• Community‐based coastal monitoring

• The Kachemak Bay CoastWalkdeveloped in the Exxon Valdez oil spill restoration program 

• focus on the nearshore environment• Monitoring beachcast seabirds• Mortality study on the northern sea otter

• data collection protocols for dead sea otters

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides training for volunteers to participate in collection of dead sea otters

Source: https://www.akcoastalstudies.org/jobs‐volunteers/131‐programs/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55:citizen‐monitoring&catid=130&Itemid=103

Example: MDI Biological Laboratory’s Community Environmental Health Laboratory (CEHL)

• Citizen‐assisted restoration ecology• Restoring eelgrass in the waters off the coast of Maine over the last decade. 

• Multiple points of engagement:• assessing sediment characteristics to make 

predictions about best sites for restoration, • designing and trialing restoration methods, • documenting project success, • assessing the habitat function of restored habitat 

by enumerating species on eelgrass blades, • mapping eelgrass spread from restored patches, 

and • contributing to the “Eelgrass in Maine” project at 

Anecdata.org to document the extent of eelgrass loss along the coast of Maine.

Source: https://mdibl.org/research/environmental‐sustainability/citizen‐science/

Questions?Contact: elizabeth.geltman@sph.cuny.edu

Preliminary Findings: http://lawatlas.org/dataset/state‐laws‐on‐soil‐vapor‐intrusion